James 24

THE SPANISH INQUISITION

WHAT WAS THE INQUISITION?

• The Catholic Church’s act of hunting down and punishing heretics which occurred during 15th-16th centuries

• Heretics were the people who were non-Catholics or who doubted the Church’s interpretation of the Bible

BACKGROUND/CAUSE

• The disunity of religions in Spain

(Catholicism, Protestantism,

Judaism, Islam)

• Pope Sixtus IV threatened by

Ferdinand II of Aragon

• To weaken the power of nobles

and politicians, create a Catholic

kingdom, and obtain wealth.

THE BEGINNING

• Officially established in 1478 by

Pope Sixtus IV

• Recapture the lands on Iberian

Peninsula from the Muslim Moors

• The pope tried to take moderate

methods, but failed due to

Ferdinand II’s threat

• Established to suppress heresy

• Involved the process of auto-da-fé—burning of the heretics

THE EXPULSION OF JEWS

The Jews:

• Always an outnumbered minority

• Controlled a considerable amount of wealth

• Non-Catholic

• Therefore, subjected to assaults by the Catholics in the area

• Alhambra Decree was established in 1492, forcing Jews to either leave the land, or convert

1ST STEP: ACCUSATION

• Inquisitor would announce a list of heresies and prompt citizens to confess their crimes against God

• Ones who confessed would only receive minor penalties

• Denounce the other heretics

• Usually done anonymously

2ND STEP: DETENTION

• The accused would be imprisoned while church officials examine the cases of heresies

• The Church often confiscated the prisoners’ properties

• The accused could wait for years in jail, not knowing what they have done wrong

3RD STEP: TORTURE

• A means of making the accused to confess

• Carried out in different ways according to the severity of heresies

• Inquisitors were specially trained to extract confessions

• Ones who refused to confess at all could be imprisoned for life

FINAL STEP: SENTENCING• Inquisitors or church officials would determine the fate of the

accused at this stage

• Acuity—exoneration of the accused, which rarely happens

• Suspension—a form of exoneration without the church admitting that the accusation had been wrong

• Penance—the guilty would admit his/her crimes and received public punishment

• Reconciliation—more severe punishment in addition to the humiliating public ceremony

• Relaxation—burning at the stake!

• *Auto-da-fé—public trials which often ended with the burning of the accused

BIBLIOGRAPHY• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Inquisition#Activity_of_the_Inquisition

• http://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/spanish-inquisition.htm

• http://www.catholic.com/magazine/articles/secrets-of-the-spanish-inquisition-revealed

• https://www.google.com.tw/search?safe=off&biw=1366&bih=638&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=torture+chamber+spanish+inquisition&oq=torture+chamber+spanish+inquisition&gs_l=img.3...48514.56406.0.56638.30.21.9.0.0.0.105.1019.20j1.21.0.msedr...0...1c.1.60.img..28.2.99.m13Ryd67Htk#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=QacImsPZFeKeBM%253A%3BktN6YSHq4zYrbM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fs.hswstatic.com%252Fgif%252F10-medieval-torture-devices7.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fhistory.howstuffworks.com%252Fmiddle-ages%252F10-medieval-torture-devices.htm%3B200%3B300

• http://jettandjahn.com/2012/07/pope-sixtus-iv-numquam-dubitavimus/

• http://www.generationsgoneby.com/tng/getperson.php?personID=I34709

• http://www.slideshare.net/crtfinnie/the-spanish-inquisition

THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION!